The DogSmith of Estepona

21/07/2025

When Should You Add a Cue to a Dog’s Behavior?

One of the most common training mistakes—by both new trainers and well-meaning pet guardians—is adding a verbal cue too early. You might be eager to name a behavior as soon as your dog does something close to what you’re teaching. But here’s the golden rule:

Only add a cue when the behavior is clean, reliable, and repeatable.

Why? Because the cue becomes associated with whatever the dog is doing at that exact moment. If the behavior is messy or inconsistent, that’s what your cue is now tied to—junk.

Read more

https://dognosticseducation.com/%f0%9f%a7%a0-dont-label-junk/

Don't Label Junk!

When Should You Add a Cue to a Dog’s Behavior?
One of the most common training mistakes—by both new trainers and well-meaning pet guardians—is adding a verbal cue too early. You might be eager to name a behavior as soon as your dog does something close to what you’re teaching. But here’s the golden rule:

Only add a cue when the behavior is clean, reliable, and repeatable.

Why? Because the cue becomes associated with whatever the dog is doing at that exact moment. If the behavior is messy or inconsistent, that’s what your cue is now tied to—junk.

Read more here https://dognosticseducation.com/%f0%9f%a7%a0-dont-label-junk/

08/06/2025

Dogs’ whiskers are vital for normal sensory perception and balance.

Dr. Leslie Gillette explains all things dog whiskers, from their overall purpose to their regrowth cycle.

02/04/2025

✨NEW blog post!✨
Make sure that you have a variety of reinforcers on all levels of your dog’s Hierarchy of Rewards so that you have something to call upon of appropriate value in all situations.

It’s our role to figure out what rewards work best in different situations!

31/03/2025

Is Your Dog Feeling Fearful, Anxious, or Stressed?

I highly recommend that we all try to identify the signs and causes of stress in our lives, and our pets’ lives, so that we can begin to eliminate or reduce

16/03/2025

“Es posible que hayas escuchado que los perros “ven con la nariz”.
Alexandra Horowitz ilustra cómo la nariz del perro puede oler el pasado, el futuro e incluso cosas que no se pueden ver en absoluto.” - Dogeando

31/12/2024

Here's to a year without fear, anxiety, and stress, for you and your pets!

13/11/2024

Run don’t walk - the Tug-E-Nuff Black Friday Sale is here!

As a Tug-E-Nuff partner, I get to reward YOU with 3 for 2 on all their award-winning toys! You can choose any 3 toys and simply pay for 2 - then sit back and wait for the postie. Your dog’s tail is going to go bananas for their special delivery…
Or, you could be sensible and hold them back for Christmas morning. You decide! The sale is live now and will run until midnight on the 29th of November.

Shop Now 👇
https://tug-e-nuff.com/collections/black-friday?ref=dogsmith

12/11/2024

WARNING - RED ALERT FOR TORRENTIAL RAIN!

La AEMET ha actualizado el aviso por las fuertes luvias previstas en las provincias de Málaga y Granada para este miércoles 13 de noviembre, pasándolo de naranja a rojo (riesgo extremo).

The AEMET (State Meteorological Agency) has updated the warning for heavy rains expected in Málaga and Granada Provinces for this Wednesday, November 13, raising it from orange to red (extreme risk).

26/10/2024

Training & Fun at the 🤩🐕🐾

14/10/2024

TUG-E-NUFF is celebrating 15 years!

We use interactive Tug-E-Nuff toys in our training sessions, and have happily purchased and had lots of fun with them over the years with our own dogs too!

From Puppy Toys to Strong Dog Toys, Chaser Toys, Squeaky Toys, Ball Toys, and Food Toys, Tug-E-Nuff will meet all your and your canine companion's needs!

Click on the link to view the wide range of fabulous interactive dog (training) toys, read the blog, watch video training tips, and even grab a 10% discount!

Happy Birthday, Tug-E-Nuff. Thank you for your 'devotion to the 'Power of Play and boosting bonds between humans and dogs'!

Sign up for your exclusive discount code courtesy of , we'll also send them a thank when you purchase First Name Email Address By requesting your discount code you agree us emailing you training tips, unmissable offers & other pawesome updates by email. Signup for Discount Code

13/09/2024

Because dogs have less cones in their eyes, they can’t see the same spectrum of colours that we can see, nor can they see them as brightly. However, dogs have a higher amount of rods, which helps them to see things better in low light than humans.

DO DOGS SEE COLORS...

Dogs can see color, but only in shades of blue and yellow. Because dogs can only see two colors, they have dichromatic vision. They can also see shades of gray. Colors such as red, orange, and green are out of a dog's color spectrum, so these colors are not visible to dogs.

07/07/2024

Does Your Dog Do Any of These 10 Perplexing Things?

She does some of them just because her genes tell her to - including this strange magnetic alignment when they relieve themselves. Many can have you shaking your head. But, one can be a sign of boredom and another can indicate a serious medical problem.

Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

https://www.barkandwhiskers.com/2015-10-05-nl-10-mysterious-dog-behaviors/

She does some of them just because her genes tell her to - including this strange magnetic alignment when they relieve themselves. Many can have you shaking your head. But, one can be a sign of boredom and another can indicate a serious medical problem.